1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to siding and, more particularly, to fiberglass siding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Siding is popular outer covering or cladding of a building, e.g., a house. Siding shields the building from inclement weather and plays a significant role in the appearance of the building.
Traditionally, siding was manufactured from wood. Although generally aesthetically pleasing, the maintenance wood siding requires is undesirable and it can be relatively heavy. Metal siding, e.g., aluminum siding, can be made to imitate the appearance of wood, and requires less maintenance than traditional wood siding. However, like wood, metal siding can be relatively heavy. In the case of, e.g., aluminum siding, metal siding can be susceptible to impact damage, e.g., such as that caused by hail storms. Vinyl siding offers the benefits of moderate durability, some resistance to impact damage, and low maintenance. However, some might argue that vinyl siding is not as aesthetically pleasing because it is considered “floating” on the building.
A more recent siding choice is fiber cement siding which is formed of light weight cement and wood fibers. Although aesthetically pleasing, this type of siding also has its drawbacks. For example, both of the main components (cement and wood fibers) absorb water. It is a heavy product that can get even heavier when saturated with water.
Each of these existing siding choices may be environmentally unfriendly. For example metal siding is energy intensive to manufacture. Further, each of these existing siding choices benefit from installation knowledge and multiple people when being installed. For example fiber cement, due to its weight, often requires multiple installers.
It would be desirable for siding to incorporate many of the advantages of existing siding choices, while excluding many of the disadvantages.